A Tribute to Peter Ostroushko: Mandolin & Guitar Concert
with Richard Kriehn and Dean Magraw
Join Richard Kriehn and Dean Magraw for a mandolin and guitar concert honoring the life and music of Peter Ostroushko.
June 5 at 2 pm in Antonello Hall
It was Peter’s wish to give others the opportunity to enjoy the mandolin, just as he did. In this spirit, several of his instruments are being donated to MacPhail by Peter’s family (his wife Marge and daughter Anna) and will be displayed at the concert.
Peter Ostroushko is beloved by the MacPhail Center for Music community. He was a faculty member for many years and we are saddened by this loss. This concert will be a celebration of Peter’s music and will include tributes from friends, family, and colleagues.
About Peter Ostroushko:
The legendary mandolinist and composer, Peter Ostroushko, has been lauded by music lovers and critics as one of the finest players in acoustic music. A dazzling mastery of stringed instruments and a flair for composing have earned this born-and-bred Minnesotan an international reputation. From Pistol River, Oregon’s Community Hall to Carnegie Hall, Peter performed at thousands of concerts across North American and Europe. Since his first recording session — an uncredited mandolin set on Bob Dylan’s Blood on the Tracks — Peter released a string of critically acclaimed albums, his extraordinary works have been performed by the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and the Kremlin Chamber Orchestra, among others, and his music is featured on broadcast specials such as the Ken Burns films Lewis & Clark and The National Parks, and Twin Cities Public Television’s Minnesota: A History of the Land, for which Peter won an Emmy. Peter was known for his ability to connect with his audience and create an intimate atmosphere that gives glory to the music.
About Richard Kriehn and Dean Magraw:
Minnesota-based multi-instrumentalist Richard Kriehn played with the “Guys All-Star Shoe Band” and the “House Band” on A Prairie Home Companion from June of 2010 until the host, Garrison Keillor retired in July of 2016. Richard has performed in symphony orchestras, bluegrass bands, baroque ensembles, pit orchestras, cover bands, and country bands. He appeared numerous times on the Grand Ole’ Opry and made appearances on The Rosie O’Donnell Show, Prime Time Country as well an episode of Walker, Texas Ranger. Before he and his family moved to the Twin Cities, they lived in Eastern Washington where he was a faculty member in the School of Music, Washington State University. Richard is a mandolin, guitar, and fiddle teaching artist at MacPhail. Visit Richard’s MacPhail faculty page…
Composer, arranger, producer, guitarist Dean Magraw performed and recorded extensively with Peter Ostroushko over several decades. Macgraw fine-tuned his “Heavy Meadow” approach to music from years of performing and recording with some of the finest musicians in the United States, Europe, and Japan. His first recording, Broken Silence, came out in 1994 and won the NAIRD award for Best Acoustic Instrumental Album of the Year.
“Dean Magraw… so liquid, lyrical and effortless it’s like listening to a dancer.” -Steve Tibbetts
“Dean Magraw’s guitar playing transcends, transports and lifts the soul to a higher level as he weaves, cajoles and entices every note from his instrument…Just as important are the silences with which he knits his music… these can only come with being at one with one’s art….” -Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh (Altan)
“Over the past five decades, guitarist Dean Magraw has ventured from jazz to rock to myriad variations of folk and world music, shifting in volume, tempo, and texture, but always deeply soulful.” -City Pages
“…every note resonates with strength and beauty.” -birdistheworm.com